Red Scare

Sherman, set the Way-Back Machine for February of 1987 -- and a 14½ -hour-long ABC miniseries called Amerika.

Anybody out there remember it?

For those who don't, Amerika was a highly controversial series that depicted an alternate reality in which the Soviet Union had, in a relatively bloodless transition, invaded and occupied the United States. ABC caught major flack for being willing to air the thing: before it even began, the miniseries was roundly condemned by those who thought that it would only further inflame tensions between the U.S. and Russia, with the Kremlin protesting the show's portrayal of Soviets as unnecessarily hostile and the United Nations complaining that it was cast as a compliant partner in the script's fictitious puppet government.

Bottom line, though: Despite being severely flawed, Amerika, overall, was daring, excellent television -- and maybe it's a testament to its impact that even in an age of exponentially increasing cable and satellite channels and on-demand digital video services it has never been seen on broadcast TV since its initial airing.

Not once.

It doesn't even exist in an official capacity on DVD.

What's interesting is that Amerika focused not on the initial conquest of the United States; it wasn't Red Dawn. In fact, there was very little action to speak of. Instead, it took place ten years after the attack which left the U.S. infrastructure decimated and the country under Soviet control. The America of the series had long since been broken and defeated and existed in its current state only as a place of sad, silent desperation -- a colorless corpse, purged years previously of any will to fight back. Those who would rebel against the firmly entrenched government had already been killed, jailed or "re-educated" and the country itself stood on the verge of being divided into 12 new districts -- the final crushing blow that would end once and for all the dream that had been America.

So why is this on my mind right now?

Oh, I don't know.

MSNBC: Russian Analyst Predicts U.S. Will Split Apart by 2010/1.3.09

Saturday Morning Cartoons

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this short.

From 1950, it's Bugs Bunny and Playboy Penguin in 8 Ball Bunny.

All Apologies

Okay, so I stand corrected. The list resumes tomorrow, since I just walked in the door and obviously haven't been able to get much done in the way of writing today.

The whole thing will still be done by the end of the weekend -- promise.

Quote of the Week

"(That) harms Bristol's reputation and Levi's reputation."

-- Sarah Palin, referring to the supposedly scurrilous rumor that her daughter Bristol and boyfriend Levi Johnston have dropped out of high school to raise their new baby -- and apparently unaware of what being an unwed teen mother and a stupid redneck, respectively, already does for one's reputation

In Transit

I'll be traveling back home from Washington, D.C. this morning. Once again, I'll have a new addition to the "This Stupid Year" list later today and the whole thing will be completed by Sunday.

Hope you'll stick around for it.

Listening Post

Kate Bush has always been known for being more than a little eccentric, and this song and video, released way back in 1986, didn't do much to challenge that image. Both tell the story -- in arguably silly and inarguably none-too-subtle fashion -- of a military "experiment in sound" that goes horribly wrong. At one time, the video was banned by certain British outlets for being too violent.

Look for an appearance in this clip from a very young Hugh Laurie, who would of course go on to play TV's Dr. Gregory House.

Here's Experiment IV.

New Year, Baby

Jayne and I spent last night -- and are spending the rest of today -- in D.C. I'm working on a book project right now in addition to attempting to recover from yesterday's festivities.

I'll be back tomorrow. The "This Stupid Year" list will continue then.

Happy New Year, everyone.